1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to distributed computer networks such as the Internet. More particularly, this invention relates to client-server software components for allowing consumers to purchase goods and services from merchants over a distributed network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic shopping systems currently exist which allow users to remotely purchase goods and services from a variety of different on-line merchants over a distributed computer network such as the Internet. With systems of this type, the on-line merchants typically publish on-line catalogs which can be viewed interactively by the end users of the network using a personal computer. These catalogs include pictures, textual descriptions, and pricing information with respect to the products and/or services of the respective merchants, and typically include on-line forms for allowing users to return purchase orders to the merchants over the network. In World Wide Web ("Web") based implementations, the on-line catalogs are in the form of hypertext documents which are hosted by the Web sites of the respective merchants, and the catalogs are accessed using a standard Web browser application which runs on the user computer. (A Web site is an Internet-connected computer or computer system which runs server software for serving information using the standard protocols of the World Wide Web.) In other implementations, the on-line catalogs may, for example, be hosted by a centralized computer of an on-line services network, such as MSN.TM., or by an Internet site which is accessed using a proprietary client application (such as the client application of eShop Inc.).